Seymour Police use LifeVac to Save Choking Baby Over Weekend

Seymour police say that a new piece of equipment helped save a baby from choking over the weekend.

According to the Seymour Police Department, officers were called to the 100 block of East Ninth Street on Saturday about a one month old who was choking and not breathing. When they arrived the found the baby was gurgling and their face was changing colors. Officer Dakota Burke used the new device called LifeVac to clear the child’s airway and after breathing was restored, police took the baby to Schneck Medical Center where the child is expected to recover.

Police say that LifeVaC is an airway clearing device that can be used in a choking emergency to remove obstructions. Unlike the widely known Heimlich maneuver which uses air pressure from underneath an obstruction to dislodge the blockage, LifeVac provides negative pressure through non-invasive suction to help remove a blockage.

The Seymour Police Department began issuing the LifeVac system on July 26th, after a suggestion from Corporal Jeremy Soliday. The department says training has been ongoing and each officer will receive the tool after they have completed their training.

The police department says that the officers who responded to the Saturday call and used the new device helped save the life of the child. Officer Burke was assisted at the scene by Cpl. Stuart Bryan and officers Austin Peelman, Devin Hill, and Levi Peacock.

You can get more information on the system at www.lifevac.net.